‘No imposition of candidates’, NDC warns after meeting Kwankwasiyya delegation

Nigeria's opposition party, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has firmly stated its opposition to the imposition of candidates in any state, emphasizing its commitment to internal democracy. This declaration follows a meeting between the NDC's national leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, and leaders of the Kwankwasiyya movement, a political group associated with former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso.

The NDC acknowledged an ongoing internal crisis within the Kwankwasiyya movement concerning party officials in Kano State. Senator Dickson is actively mediating these issues to promote inclusivity and participation among all party members. The NDC leadership stressed that they would not impose candidates in Kano or any other region, valuing the principles of internal democracy above all.

The closed-door meeting, described as fruitful and productive, aimed to resolve the disputes between the Kwankwasiyya movement and established NDC officials in Kano. The party leadership also issued a directive to the public and party members to disregard any unofficial lists of primary election results currently in circulation, as no official results have been released for any state.

This statement comes amid reports of a petition allegedly signed by NDC Kano chairperson Usaini Mairiga and Northwest Vice Chairman Muhammed Serina, addressed to Senator Dickson. The petition reportedly claimed that Mr. Kwankwaso had deviated from an agreed candidate nomination formula for the 2027 elections in Kano. However, Mr. Mairiga has denied signing any such statement or petition challenging the party's primary outcomes in Kano.